The Blog About Nothing 9/6 Edition

Welcome to The Blog About Nothing. Sorry about not posting last week, but it’s hard to do a blog every week especially a topical blog like this one. Sometimes there is nothing out there that you want to blog on, and sometimes your mind is just drained. Last Friday, I had nothing. Nothing. So I skipped a week and my intention was to skip this week too, but that was before Colin Kaepernick decided to become a news story so here I am: blogging. Let’s do this!

In choosing to sit down, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose to stand. By sitting down through the playing of the National Anthem due to what he sees as the injustice and prejudice in our country, Colin has taken a stand. A stand that has seen him applauded in some parts, and vilified in others. I for one applaud him for having the consciousness for standing up in something that he believes in. No matter how unpopular it may be, it takes a strong person to do something that he knows he is going to be vilified for.

In that I applaud Colin. Personally, I wouldn’t do what he’s doing but he is right in making this stance. There is a spirit of injustice and prejudice in the United States. Police brutality is a real issue. It’s not something that is contrived, and only in the minds of a certain segment of the population. If you are a person of color, it’s a real thing that you do have to live with and face every single day. Racism is very much alive, and I don’t care for anyone who wishes to stick their heads in the sand and say something different.

Keep lying to yourself if you want, but if individuals like Colin want to draw attention to the matter then I say bravo. However, I hope he does not stop there. I’ve said it a million times in this blog space but athletes and celebrities have a huge platform in not only to draw attention to their own issues, but they can also help address the issues of others. Sitting down for the anthem is his own personal choice, but now that he has made it, he has to take the additional steps needed to help address the issues of prejudice and inequality in our nation. If he doesn’t then Colin Kaepernick will become yet another person who is comfortable drawing attention to himself without actually doing anything.

Also, allow me to say that I have no idea why sitting for the anthem means that your anti-military or unpatriotic. When gymnast Gabby Douglas did not cover her heart for the anthem at the Olympics, there was plenty of people willing to call her unpatriotic and a bunch of names, but it was her choice not to cover her heart. First of all, it is not some rule to cover your heart during the anthem anyway. It sure as hell isn’t required, and painting Gabby with that brush was unfair but I can’t say I was surprised. As I said, racism and all of its code words are very much alive.

So, once again I was not surprised when Colin has come under attack. Attacking him is ridiculous to me. Kaepernick has made his stance clear yet there are still some yahoo’s out there who are saying that he’s unpatriotic, anti-military, and needs to leave the United States. You mean to tell me in a land that was established on freedom, you cannot be free to make a stand on something you disagree with? If you’re not U.S.A. and proud, you cannot exist in this nation? It’s such B.S. to me, but I guess those against Kaepernick et al. have the right to say what they feel as well. Welcome to these United States…

I was on Twitter a few days ago and saw something called Black Men for Bernie was trending. As a black man who felt the Bern, and voted for him in my state’s Primary election, I was curious to know what the hashtag was about and I clicked on it. What I saw made me shake my head and face palm it with a great deal of intensity. Apparently Black Men for Bernie is a political group, but it’s a group made of fools. Why?

Apparently, Black Men for Bernie in their disappointment of their man not winning the Primaries and siding for Hillary Clinton in a show of unity was too much for them to take. They have decided that since the Democratic Party take minority votes for granted, that they were going to support Donald Trump in his Presidential bid. This is when I knew that Black Men for Bernie were not too bright.

Trump & Sanders

I don’t think Donald Trump is a racist. I think he’s smart in tapping into the alt-right movement and taking advantage of their rabid support. However, in tapping into the alt-right and their many racist members, I think he’s absolutely disqualified himself from courting the minority vote. I’m sorry but I wouldn’t feel comfortable voting for a man that refuses to repudiate known KKK clan members like David Duke supporting him, and for associating himself with Breitbart News who have known and established racists writing for them. I’m sorry but I wouldn’t want to be a member of that cabal.

Far from it. I would be in full throated voice to prevent them from being elected. Do the Democrats take minorities for granted? I would say yes, and there is nothing wrong with voting for Republicans but I wouldn’t vote for THIS Republican. I’m sorry but if you’re black or Hispanic and you’re voting for Trump, I would think you need a head examination because you’ve clearly lost it.

Enough from me this week. I’m done. I can’t type no more. It feels good to come back on here and do what I like to do. It feels real good.

2 Comments

I don’t disagree with you many times but every once in awhile… ayup… Sorry, but the acorn don’t fall far from the tree… Donald Trump is a racist just like his daddy was a racist. Otherwise, great blog!

I saw a report from a white soldier who fought in Nam. He said that he had fought for the right to free talk and felt that what Kaepernick did was what he was fighting for. He felt Kaepernick and others honored his military efforts.